Question: When our Alpha ACD readerboards aren't updating, should I reboot the computer to fix the problem?

Answer: Rebooting is not a recommended first response to your problem. Rebooting won't fix the most common problems, and rebooting the system can actually create new problems (see Rebooting Can Cause New Problems at the end of this document). The best solution is to take time to figure out exactly what part of the system isn't working and to fix that problem. We have prepared the following Troubleshooting guide to assist you. Our staff is also available by phone to help you, 24 hours a day.

Troubleshooting Your Alpha ACD System Problem

Here's a brief guide to help you determine where the problem lies and how to fix it. It doesn't attempt to give every detail, since the details vary from installation to installation. Instead, it gives an overall view, so that you can focus in on where the problem is and where the problem isn't. Our technical support group is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at no charge, to assist you with the finer details. Before you call, do a little detective work. Most of the time, you will find it's a simple problem, such as an unplugged power cord or cable, and you can easily fix the problem yourself.

When your Alpha ACD system is not working properly, the first thing to do is to determine exactly which component of the system is failing. Generally speaking, there are seven system components.

• The Readerboards.
• The Cabling between the Readerboards and the Converter Box.
• The Converter Box.
• The Computer System and its components (Serial Ports, etc.).
• The Software (both ACD software and System software).
• The Connection to the ACD Phone System (Serial or Network).
• The ACD Phone System.

1. Look at the screen of the Alpha ACD computer. This is the heart of the system. Is the Alpha ACD system program grid on the screen, and are the ACD statistics updating in it? This tells you if your ACD phone system is passing its latest ACD statistic information to the Alpha ACD computer. Make sure that the Alpha ACD programs and scripts are running and updating. If they aren't, try stopping and restarting the programs and scripts. On some systems doing this is as simple as clicking a single icon. On more elaborate systems, there may be several icons to click. If your system has several scripts or icons, give us a call. We'll teach you how to run them in the correct order.
2. If the computer screen is updating, but the readerboards are not updating, look at three possibilities – a Converter Box problem, a cabling problem, or a readerboard problem. First, check the Converter Box. Is the red light on? If the red light is off, plug in the Converter Box. The readerboards should start updating. If the red light was on, then check to see if the red RCX light is flashing every second or so. If it is flashing, and there is real-time data in the grid on your screen, then the problem is either in the cabling or in the readerboard.
3. Next, check the readerboard. Sometimes a power outage will result in the readerboard address being set back to the factory setting of 00. In most cases, address 00 is not used. The most commonly-used address is 01. Check the address of the readerboard. There are several ways to check, but the easiest way is to unplug the readerboard and plug it back in, paying attention to the boot up display on the readerboard. It will display the message, SERIAL ADDRESS=00, or whatever the address is. If it says the address is 00, then you will need to reset it to 01 or 02 or to whatever address is normally used for that sign. At this point, call us. We can help you with these steps. We can tell you what the address should be, and we can tell you how to change the readerboard address. Once you have set the address correctly, it may be necessary to restart the Alpha ACD program.
4. If you have ruled out Converter Box and readerboard address problems, yet the screen of the computer is displaying real-time statistics, and the readerboards still aren't updating, then there may be a cabling problem. Cabling problems are usually caused by someone who has been working on your phone system, perhaps adding or moving phones, accidentally disconnecting or reversing polarity on the readerboard cable at the dataframe panel (66 block or 110 block) in a phone closet or in the phone room. You will need your cabling person to troubleshoot and fix cabling problems.
5. If the screen of the computer is not updating, yet the programs and scripts are running, then the problem is either the phone system or the connection to the phone system.
6. If the connection is through a phone set, such as a 2216 on a Nortel system, check the 2216 first by pressing one of the DWC keys being used by the Alpha ACD system. If the phone has an ACD display, the statistics for the queue should display on the screen of the phone. Next, reset the 2216 phone set by unplugging its line cord on the bottom of the phone. If this doesn't wake up the phone, have your Telecom specialist "re-enable" the 2216.
7. If the connection to the ACD phone system is via a terminal program, such as Nortel MAX or Lucent CMS or BCMS, check to see if MAX, CMS or BCMS is running by accessing it from a Supervisor's workstation. If it is, you may have a login and password problem.
8. Sometimes the login and password of the ACD system get removed or changed during system maintenance. It is easy to forget about the readerboard system, since most of the time it does not require maintenance or attention. If the login and password have been removed, the Network Administrator or Telecom Manager will have to correct the problem.
9. If the MAX, CMS or BCMS, or other terminal program is not working elsewhere, the Telecom manager or the ACD phone system vendor must correct the problem.
10. If the connection is through the LAN, several of the same issues are involved – are the login and password still working, and is the terminal program working on anyone else's computer? Other problems that can occur on a LAN-connected system are related to traffic on the LAN. Most ACD phone systems send out datagram broadcasts of ACD statistics packets with no way of determining if they are received. Heavy traffic can keep these datagrams from being received by the Alpha ACD system.

EXAMPLE: You have a Nortel ACD system with an Alpha ACD system reading and displaying ACD statistics from a 2216, from MAX via a Serial Port, and from a CDN report via LAN.

There are four activities in process:

1. Reading ACD statistics from the 2216 over a Serial connection. The 2216 produces four ACD statistics -- Calls Waiting, Longest Wait, Positions Manned, and Timed Overflow.
2. Reading ACD statistics from a MAX report over a Serial connection. MAX produces about ten statistics, including Service Level, Abandoned Calls, Agents Not Ready, Agents on ACD Calls and allows the Alpha ACD system to calculate Agents Available.
3. Reading ACD statistics from a CDN report over a LAN connection. CDN reports calculate Cumulative Calls statistics.
4. Sending the ACD statistics to the readerboards.

Usually, not all the activities are failing when there is a problem. While there may be zeros in one or two fields on your computer screen and readerboard, there are probably not zeros in every field. Try to determine specifically which fields have stopped updating. Doing this will tell you what needs to be fixed.

To determine what is not working, look at the computer screen and at the readerboard. Which, if any, of the ACD statistics are being displayed? Test the system by logging out an agent or by calling in and not answering. Watch the screen and readerboard. By deduction you can determine which part or parts of the system are not working. Then you can focus your efforts on starting, restarting and fixing those parts.

Rebooting Can Cause New Problems

Earlier we stated that rebooting can cause new problems. These problems relate to (a) the age of your computer and its internal battery, (b) the loading of programs and scripts, and (c) logging off of certain phone systems. The following sections explain these issues:

Computer Hardware BIOS Settings Problem

After any computer has been installed and running for a few years, the internal lithium or alkaline backup battery, that holds the computer BIOS settings when the power is off, eventually dies. As long as the computer power is on, the computer maintains the BIOS settings. When power is turned off and the backup battery is dead, the BIOS settings return to default values. Before the system can be restarted, the correct BIOS settings must be reentered. After the system is restarted, you can begin to work on the problem you are having with the readerboard system. For these reasons, we recommend that you try to leave the computer running.

Starting Programs and Activating Scripts

Some Alpha ACD systems can be rebooted without problems. If these systems don't have a dead backup battery as described above, restarting or rebooting the ACD computer will usually restart the program without problems.

On more elaborate Alpha ACD systems, several scripts may be running, gathering ACD statistics from a variety of reports and databases. When there are multiple scripts, the first script usually establishes connectivity and DDE functionality. Additional scripts log in to various reports and databases; and perform the collection, calculation and update functions. Activating multiple scripts in the correct order is very important, since data can't be collected if the connectivity and login haven't been performed. Data can't be transferred if the DDE function hasn't been activated. In these environments, a trained operator is required to stop and start the system.

ACD phone systems, such as Rockwell and Nortel MAX require that you log out of Supervisor reports before exiting the system. If you don't log out, the reports keep running in the ACD phone system, even if your computer system is not connected and reading the reports. Logging back in usually requires that you first log out of ACD reports that were left running. If a system is shut down abruptly, by a power outage or by resetting or rebooting the computer without first exiting certain connections, the system cannot restart itself without operator intervention.

An ACD phone system on a LAN usually has a network login and password that must be entered when the system is rebooted. An operator is required to enter this information.

In conclusion, we find that most of the time the computer is working fine. So instead of restarting or rebooting the computer, figure out which program or script is failing. If necessary, stop all the programs and scripts and restart them.

Call Alpha-American Programmable Signs at 800-223-4636, and we will teach you or your key operator how to stop and start Alpha ACD system programs and scripts. We will also help you to determine what your computer system settings are, and teach you how to reenter them, before you have a problem.